Love Imagines (Sully Point, Book 6) Read online

  Love Imagines

  Book Six in the Sully Point Series

  by

  Nicole Smith

  Copyright © 2013 by Nicole Smith

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Rose Carter drove along winding back roads on her way to Sully Point. She'd put the top down on the white convertible and pinned her long, strawberry blonde hair up in a bun to keep it out of her face. It had been ages since she'd taken a ride in her car, just to enjoy herself.

  The day was bright and sunny, and the sky opened up above her head in a pale blue with a few clouds that looked like fluffy cotton. Rose felt herself relaxing with every mile away from Philadelphia and the hospital. Her job there as an emergency room doctor had been rewarding and also stress-inducing. When the hospital had told her she needed time away, and put her on forced leave, she knew she had to take some time to evaluate her life.

  But not today, she decided. Today was for relaxing in the open air, watching the countryside as she passed by, and feeling like her again. She put in a disc by Adele and sang along with the music as it blared loudly from the speakers.

  Around noon, she pulled into a restaurant with ocean views. A deck surrounded the restaurant on three sides and sat out over the water. Rose took one look and decided to eat there at the outdoor tables. She parked the car and took a moment to unpin her hair and brush it out over her shoulders, and then let it fall down her back. As she walked up the steps to the main entrance, she noticed a man watching her from the parking lot. She'd seen him drive in about the same time as she had, and he seemed to be interested in looking at her.

  She smiled at the thought. Usually she was too busy to notice any looks that came her way, or she was covered in blood and bodily fluids and was getting no looks at all. It felt pleasant to get the kind of male appreciation that was coming her way now.

  The hostess seated her out on the deck, and Rose ordered seltzer water with lime. As she waited on her drink, she thought about the lack of men in her life. True, there were male doctors and other men she worked with at the hospital. But there had been no one who appealed to her...in over a year, she realized. Work had become such an obsession, she'd let go of anything else beyond it. This, she admitted, was not really a healthy lifestyle.

  The waitress came back with her drink, and she ordered the blackened mahi mahi topped with a citrus sauce. As she sipped her drink, she looked up to see the man from the parking lot staring at her again. He was two tables away, and smiled at her when she noticed him. It was a nice smile, she thought. And it was located on quite a good-looking face. A face that almost looked familiar. It took a minute for her to place the rugged looks, the blond hair that spilled across his forehead, and the piercing blue eyes. He was an actor she'd seen in a couple of action movies...a movie star! She was delighted at the idea and grinned back at him.

  To her surprise, he got up and came over to her table.

  "May I sit down?" he asked.

  "Yes, go right ahead," she replied.

  He sat in the seat across from her. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Ben Sterling."

  She shook the hand he extended across the table. "I'm Rose Carter. I recognized you but couldn't quite place you."

  He nodded. "Yes, that's me. I've played the second lead in a couple of movies, but my first lead role is in the movie I just finished. I'm actually dreading getting more recognition. It seems to me that the actors who become more well-known have very little privacy."

  "Is your name Benjamin or just Ben?"

  "Benjamin, but my stage name is Ben."

  "I have a sister who's an actress. Beth Carter."

  He raised his eyebrows. "So you do know about the fame thing. She's a lovely woman and an excellent actress. L.A. is all abuzz with talk of her first movie coming out. Her husband is why I'm on the road today."

  The waitress came with their meals, having adjusted to seeing Ben sitting with Rose. She placed the mahi mahi and Ben's swordfish on the table. They both busied themselves with fixing their baked potatoes with butter and sour cream. Rose took a bite of her fish and was pleased at the smooth blending of flavors.

  "This is delicious," she said.

  "Mine too," Ben replied.

  "What did you mean when you said that about Beth's husband?"

  "He offered me a role in the next play they are doing for summer stock. I'm on my way to Sully Point to take him up on the offer."

  Rose almost choked on her last bite. She coughed and took a sip of her water. "Sully Point? You're going there?"

  "That's where the Playhouse is that Mr. Christopher runs during part of the year. He's an amazing director. I can't wait to work with him."

  "I wasn't putting that together with Sully Point. That's where I'm headed, too."

  "You are?"

  She nodded. "Yes. I'm taking an extended vacation and visiting with my family who all live there."

  They ate some more in silence, until Ben said, "A model, right? You work as a model?"

  She was startled. "A model? What makes you say that?"

  "You're gorgeous for one thing. That face, that hair, that body..."

  "I see," she said with what she hoped was a repressive look.

  "I have an eye. My second love after acting is photography. I'm hoping to get some nature shots of the area around Sully Point, the water, the beaches and cliffs. I would love for you to let me include you in some of the photographs I plan to take."

  Rose opened her mouth to tell him she was a doctor, then paused and shut it. Really, she thought, why should she? She was here for a break. What more of a break could she get than to be someone totally different than her everyday life?

  After a minute, she smiled at him. "Sure, why not? It could be fun."

  "Fantastic!" he said.

  They finished their meal chatting about the movie business and photography. Ben had a good sense of humor, and had her laughing over some of his behind-the-scenes escapades. They decided to forego dessert and get back on the road.

  When they walked out to the parking lot, Ben followed Rose to her car.

  "Great convertible," he said, while she put her hair up.

  "I love it. Haven't had a lot of chances to take it out recently so this drive has been a treat." She noticed standing next to him that he was six feet tall. She liked that, because of her own five feet, eight inches height.

  "I left my car in L.A. and just rented one in the city to bring out here. I'd been visiting friends there when the offer came in for Sully Point."

  Rose grinned at him. "I'll try not to leave you in the dust in my speed mobile here."

  He laughed and she liked how his eyes filled with enjoyment. She'd always been a sucker for blue eyes, and his were just stunning.

  "Rose?"

  She realized he'd been asking her something and she'd been too involved with staring at him to hear.

  "Sorry, I got distracted. What did you say?"

  "I said I'll follow you there."

  "I don't know the way any better than you. It's only my second time there, but you can follow me if you want, and can keep up."

  Ben shook his head. "I probably can't, but I'll give it a shot."

  They left the parking lot and she saw him following her in her rear-view mirror. He wasn't what she would have expected of an actor. Beth had told her a few stories about her experiences in the business, and she knew that some actors wer
e full of themselves and some were serious jerks. But Ben wasn't like that. He seemed like a normal guy, very self-confident but not irritating about it. During their lunch he had talked more about photography than he had about acting and movies.

  Thinking about that led her back to the modeling question. Was she really going to let him take pictures of her? She laughed out loud suddenly. This was a much more fun topic to make a decision about than worrying over life and death in the E.R. She needed some fun, and spending time with Ben fit the bill perfectly.

  * * * *

  Ben watched the white convertible and mused over the woman in the car ahead of him. She was beautiful, but he saw beautiful women all the time in his business. What was it about her that made him want to see her again, and often?

  She seemed grounded. Like there was an essential honesty to her, a wholesomeness within her. The sparkle in her big brown eyes, the curve of her rosy lips as she smiled...all right, yes, he admitted to himself...he was attracted by her looks. But it was more than that. There were some shadows in her eyes, and a pensive look on her face at times, as if she was thinking of something difficult to deal with. Yet, she could relax and get past that. He'd seen it in their conversation. He wanted to be the one to help her relax, to forget her troubles. And she was refreshingly not self-centered like every other model he'd ever met. She seemed unaware of how gorgeous she was as they had talked.

  Ben knew how unusual Rose was after just one conversation. At age thirty-two, and after years in the movie business, he was tired of phony people. He'd stopped dating eight months before, on his birthday, making a commitment to himself that he would only date women who felt 'real' to him. Rose was the first one in eight months to match the label of 'real.'

  * * * *

  As she stopped at a light on Main Street in Sully Point, Rose saw Ben pull up beside her. He had the window down and called out to her.

  "I'm supposed to head to the Playhouse on the square. How can I get in touch with you?"

  "I'll be staying upstairs from the Bakery." She pointed to the corner and the Bakery sign.

  He nodded. "I'll stop by and get your number later." Then he waved, turned the corner and was gone.

  She made her turn into the parking lot behind the Bakery and parked. Carrying two suitcases, she went up the stairs. Her sister, Beth, had given her the key to the apartment when she'd been in Sully Point for Beth's wedding. It was during that visit that she'd decided to return for her sabbatical. Now she was back with all her clothes, a few books and some music, along with her laptop computer. Her place in Philly had been a rented furnished apartment, so she had nothing more to move.

  There had been some talk of her staying in Cody Grainger's houseboat, something Rose had been looking forward to, but it hadn't come to pass. The boat had been damaged in a storm and Cody had decided the interior needed updating as well as the exterior. The Bakery apartment was the next best idea.

  Rose unlocked the door and went into the apartment. It smelled fresh and clean, and she was sure that either Beth, or Maggie, her other sister, had freshened it up that day. After carrying the suitcases into the bedroom, she headed for the kitchen. As she had suspected, the fridge was stocked with drinks, fresh veggies for salad, eggs and some fruit.

  She opened a bottle of water and sipped it as she looked into other cabinets at what was available for food. There were cookies fresh from the Bakery on the counter, and she found they were her favorite—chocolate chip.

  After finishing three cookies, and then shutting the container firmly, she went back downstairs to open the trunk of the car and bring up the rest of her things. She had just started to unpack when there was a knocking on the door. When she opened it, she found Ben standing there with a six-pack of beer.

  "I just bought these, chilled. Feel like a beer?" he asked as he stepped into the apartment.

  She smiled at him. "Sounds just about perfect. I may even have something to munch on. Let me check the cabinets."

  He followed her into the yellow and orange kitchen. "You've already been to the store?"

  "No, my sisters stocked the place for me. They're both living here now, plus, my parents. Here we are. How about some mixed nuts to go with that beer?"

  "Just the thing." He took the bottle opener from her and opened a beer for each of them. "Is the bottle okay? Or do you want a glass?"

  "Bottle is fine with me," Rose said. She poured the nuts into a bowl, and then they went into the living room. He sat on the green velvet sofa and she sat in the white brocade chair across from him, setting the nuts on the coffee table.

  "This is a cool place," he said.

  "How is yours? Where are you staying?" she asked.

  "I haven't been there yet," he said, and gave a laugh. "They said it was a cabin on the beach."

  "Oh, I've been in one of those when I was here before. They're nice too."

  "So when were you here before?"

  She explained about her sister's wedding and that she'd decided to come back to stay for a while. Then she mentioned that her brother, Sam, also lived in Sully Point.

  "Hang on...Carter. You said your last name is Carter?"

  She nodded.

  "Your brother is Sam Carter? The Sam Carter who writes those fabulous books? About the psychic detective?"

  "Yes, that's him. He and his wife Anna live here and they have a son, Joshua."

  "They were in the news a few years back. Anna is...an artist, right? A painter?"

  "Yes, that's right."

  "I would love to meet them sometime," Ben said. "I have always admired writers. Without them, I'd be out of a job."

  "I'm sure we could arrange something. Before I forget, let's exchange phone numbers."

  They each pulled out cell phones and input the other's number.

  "There, it's official," Ben said. "We now know each other."

  She laughed.

  They munched on nuts and drank their beers and Rose asked him about the movies he made.

  "It's mostly all been action flicks so far, with me playing the buddy role. But this last one was different. I was the captain of the spaceship. It was a science fiction story. I have hopes that it will do well. There was a bit of action, a bit of a mystery, and some romance."

  "I bet it will be a blockbuster," she said.

  "Where can I see your latest photos?"

  "Uh..." and before she could think of an answer, there was loud knocking on the door.

  Rose jumped up and opened the door to find her sister Beth, and Beth's husband, William.

  "You got here!" Beth said and came in to give her a hug.

  "Nice to see you, Rose," William said.

  They moved into the living room and stopped when they saw Ben on the sofa. He stood up rapidly and looked at them with wide eyes.

  "Mr. Christopher! I didn't expect..."

  William tilted his head and looked at Ben. "Now just how did you come to be here with Rose?"

  "Sit down you all," Rose said. "I'll explain. Do you guys want a beer or something else?"

  "A beer sounds good," William said. Beth stared at him a minute and then nodded wordlessly.

  Rose brought the beers in and handed them over, thinking fast.

  "Ben and I met at the restaurant I stopped at for lunch on the way here and discovered we were both headed to Sully Point. He told me how much he likes photography when he's not acting, and asked if I'd be willing to be in some of his photos while he's here. You know, what with me being a model, and all."

  William choked on his swallow of beer and Beth gave her one look with her mouth open, and then quickly sipped her drink.

  "Yes, I would love to get some pictures of Rose while I'm here, to liven up my nature photos."

  "I was just about to explain to Ben that there aren't any current photos of me since I've been on vacation for a while before coming here."

  "Ah, I see," William said, nodding wisely.

  "Well, then, Ben can take some photos of you," Beth sa
id with a bright smile.

  Rose frowned at her and Beth toned down the smile.

  Ben set his bottle down and said, "I should be going."

  "Don't leave on our account," Beth said.

  "No, I need to unpack and get settled in. Besides, I'm sure Rose would like to spend her first day here with family."

  He stood up and walked toward the door with Rose following him.

  "Thanks for coming by," she said. "Call me tomorrow if you want."

  He grinned at her. "I will definitely want."

  She smiled back, and then she shut the door as he headed out. Whirling around, she saw two questioning faces staring at her.

  "Honestly, I didn't mean to do it. But he assumed...and then I thought, why not? I need a little fun."

  Beth shook her head but had a smile on her face. "He is quite handsome. And you are pretty enough to be a model. Are you ever going to tell him?"

  William leaned forward. "At some point you might have to tell him as some people in town know that one of you three sisters is a doctor."

  "I plan on telling him eventually. But not yet. So don't give it away, okay?"

  Beth and William nodded.

  "Thanks for stocking the kitchen," Rose said.

  "Maggie helped. And Anna made sure there were fresh chocolate chip cookies," Beth said. "But for now, you need to get ready for dinner. Mom and Dad are having everyone over."

  "Everyone?"

  "Yes, the whole big family of Carters, Graingers, and everyone they are all married to, so that means everyone."

  "I didn't realize they'd gotten a house that large."

  "They bought one of Jason's new designs, a cliffside house," William said. "Do you remember Jason, the architect? He's married to Holly Grainger. They have an adopted son, Harry."

  "Yeah, I think I do remember them. Okay, let me go change out of these clothes I've been in all day. I'll be right back."

  Rose left the living room and quickly pulled a minty green sleeveless top out of the closet to go with cream-colored cotton pants. After adding sneakers, and running a brush through her long hair, she was ready to go.